


Truth, Justice and … Mundanity: Lois & Clark ficlets set in the Man of Steel Universe

by koalathebear



Category: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Justice League (2017), Man of Steel (2013), Superman - All Media Types
Genre: Domestic, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-27
Updated: 2017-11-20
Packaged: 2018-05-29 10:42:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 10,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6371629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/koalathebear/pseuds/koalathebear
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I liked the idea of exploring mundane/ordinary snippets of Clark and Lois' life together given that Batman v Superman starts 18 months after the end of Man of Steel and Lois and Clark are clearly in an established relationship. </p><p>Plotless, these are a bunch of random and unconnected snippets of mundaneness, written as they occur to me or in response to prompts.   They are not in order and are not connected except that they occur at some during in the period between Man of Steel and Batman v Superman.  Although written out of order, when I write each one, I'll try to put it in the right spot so you might have to hunt and peck to find the new chapters...</p><p>My own head canon. I didn't want to spam ao3 so am putting them all together in here.  Ratings will vary depending on the chapter.  If you have a prompt, send it through and I'll see what I can do.</p><p>I always like hearing from people so let me know what you like and what you don't like! :)  Updated after watching Justice League.  I'll mark the ficlets written post-Justice League clearly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Glasses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set right at the end of Man of Steel when Clark shows up at the Daily Planet. I was wondering what Lois thought of his glasses when he first shows up.

"Lombard, Lane - I want you to meet our new stringer. I want you to show him the ropes. This is Clark Kent." Clark's eyes immediately went to hers, almost ignoring everyone else as Perry White told him,"Good luck, kid," before walking away.

Their gazes met. Lois dropped her eyes shyly, the faintest smile curving her lips as she took in his jeans, plaid shirt, jacket, tie, messenger bag … and the almost nerdy glasses sitting on his perfect features.

"Hey," her colleague spoke. "Steve," he said, introducing himself to the newcomer.

"Nice to meet you," Clark's voice was measured and polite.

"You too."

"Hi," Lois said, rising from her seat and extending her hand towards him. "Lois Lane." She gave him a nod, her eyes not moving from his. "Welcome to the Planet," she told him warmly.

"Glad to be here, Lois," he told her with that brilliant smile that curved his firm lips and lit up his eyes.

When the others walked away, Lois tilted her head at him quizzically but she said nothing.

"Do you mind?" he asked her and she shook her head.

"No … although you could have given me a bit of warning…Weeks go by and I hear nothing from you and then suddenly you're … here..." 

"Lois – I …."

Her gaze rested on his glasses. "Glasses?" she asked him.

They transformed his face, giving him a very intellectual and serious look. Nerd chic was all the fashion these days and even the glasses with their dark frames could not detract from his careless good looks and the vividness of his deep blue eyes.

Clark adjusted them, clearing his throat self-consciously. "Do you like them?" he asked her, feigning casualness.

"This will be your desk," she replied, changing the topic deftly and indicating the desk across the way, only a few metres away from hers.

Clark's studied the small work station with phone, computer and monitor. "Perfect," he remarked, his gaze returning to her face.

"Did I hear you talking about glasses?" Steve demanded as he walked back up to them, glancing back and forth between them. 

"Umm yes," Clark replied.

"One word. Lasik," Lombard told him emphatically. "Had my eyes done a few years ago and threw the glasses away. Did wonders for my love life … less things in the way, if you know what I mean," he told the younger man, winking meaningfully.

"Err … quite," Clark answered, clearly at a loss for how best to respond. 

"Come on, I'll show you around," Lois told Clark. "I have a feeling you and I are going to be working together a lot."

"Sounds wonderful," Clark answered completely seriously. 

"Guess the glasses aren't a problem for some guys," Steve muttered as he watched Lois and Clark walk down the corridor together.


	2. Hyperthymesia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I was reading some fascinating articles today about something called hyperthymesia. The word is derived from Ancient Greek: hyper- ("excessive") and thymesis ("remembering"). 
> 
> Hyperthymesia is also known as hyperthymestic syndrome and highly superior autobiographical memory. It occurred to me that Superman would probably have a version of hyperthymesia.

Lois read Clark's latest article with a faint frown on her face. A young Australian woman was one of only 80 people in the world with hyperthymesia - a rare condition also known as Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory. The woman named Nina was able to remember every moment of her life in detail including dreams from when she was an infant, bad memories, every single experience...

The article mentioned other individuals with the same condition. Those who were haunted by the never-ending stream of memories, unable to focus on the now because they were constantly troubled by the past. By contrast, there were also those who weren't bothered by their abilities in the slightest, finding it a handy tool for work - and playing trivia games.

In someone else's hands, the story could have been a beat-up ... emphasising the weird and quirky nature of the ability, casting the people in the light of savants. Clark wasn't like that. He was never sensationalist ... there was always something very grounded and matter-of-fact about the way he wrote - giving an insight into the lives and abilities of others so that they could empathise if not understand. As he wrote it, these were simply ordinary people with an extraordinary ability to remember everything and forget nothing.

_Looking back at painful memories, it's like it just happened._

_Sometimes it feels like everyone around me has amnesia ..._

_There are some who say that the ability to forget is crucial to the ability to think. That only the ability to forget past pain and wrongs allows us to co-exist with one another._

"Is that a good frown or a bad frown?" Clark asked as he set a coffee down in front of Lois and slid into the seat opposite her in the staff break-out area. He took a sip of his own cup of coffee as he peered at the paper in front of her.

"Thoughtful frown," she replied, smiling her thanks at him for the coffee. She reached out for her purse and Clark shook his head at her.

"My treat," he told her. "What are you reading?"

"Your latest article," she told him and Clark suppressed a flicker pride at seeing his story in the printed version of the _Planet_. The article had originally been slated for the blog site only but White had ended up liking the article so much, he'd included it in the print copy, too.

"Is this what it's like for you?" she him abruptly.

Clark smiled. "Yes and no ... "

"But you can remember everything."

"Yes."

He ignores the stab of pain behind his eyes as he thinks of Jonathan Kent standing by the car ... the sickening crack of Zod's neck and the ferocity of his own grief and self-loathing. These aren't just vivid memories, they have become interwoven into the fabric of his nightmares. 

"Doesn't your mind get cluttered?" Lois asks curiously.

He frowned. "It's organised ... it's called on when I need it, but it's not like the memories bombard me all the time. It's not overwhelming." He doesn't permit it to be overwhelming even though his vast mind contains a perfect recollection of everything he has ever seen, heard or experienced ...

"To be honest - I don't think I'd much like that at all," Lois mused aloud. "It would be easy to hold a grudge. Stay pissed off at someone forever. Feel angry forever..."

"You learn to put things away ... contextualise and have a sense of perspective despite remembering everything. Humans do it, too to a certain extent - otherwise you wouldn't be able to cope with the weight of all of your memories."

"So you remember everything I've ever said?" she asks teasingly.

"Said ... done ... worn ..." he replied with a shrug. He grimaced ruefully. "Sounds a little creepy when said aloud like that."

Lois tilted her head slightly. "I was actually only kidding... your article makes it clear that hyperthymesia usually only relates to an individual's memories of personal experiences and actions - it doesn't mean that they have a good memory overall ..."

Clark smiles crookedly. "Well ... my abilities are Kryptonian in origin so probably differ from hyperthymesias in humans ... so I remember everything. Particularly things and people that are important to me."

Lois smiled and finished her coffee. "Is your charm Kryptonian in origin, too?" she asked him quizzically.

Clark's return smile was brilliant and almost entirely irresistible. "No ma'am. It's pure Kansas in origin," he drawled deliberately. 

With a laugh, Lois gathered their coffee cups together to drop into the recycling bin. "Walk with me, Smallville. I've got an idea for a new story that I want to run past you."

Clark fell into step beside her, smiling down at her in a way that triggered a cascade of images in her own mind... Lois decided that perhaps she had a form of selective hyperthymesias. She certainly didn't think she would ever be able to forget anything about this man - nor would she want to forget ...


	3. I Saw Lois Kissing Superman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At the end of Man of Steel, three of Lois Lane's coworkers saw her kissing Superman. I was wondering how this all gets reconciled with the fact that she and Clark end up being an item ...
> 
> Just a little scribble set a bit after Man of Steel... Lois and Clark are in the very early stages of a possible relationship but they're not an item yet :)

Lois walks past, talking animatedly into her cell as she ignores everyone else waving her down for attention. Everyone that is except Clark. As she walks past him, she takes a moment to slant him a smile meant for him alone. Then she's gone.

A matching smile curves the quiet journalist's firm mouth, lighting up his deep blue eyes and softening his face. He continues to watch, even as Lois vanishes from view.

"Don't take this the wrong way," he hears someone say from behind him. He turns his head and stares into Lombard's eyes quizzically.

Lombard's a pleasant enough colleague. Friendly, helpful. He clearly has a thing for the ladies although the sentiments aren't always returned.

"Yes?" Clark asks politely.

"I can see you're a bit sweet on Lois there ..." He continues before Clark can even begin to protest. "And I can see why. She's a sweetie - smart, feisty ... and ... well, hot." Clark's eyebrows lift.

Lombard holds up his hands,"No no, don't get me wrong. I'm not into her." He pauses and corrects himself. "Not anymore… but I don't want to see a nice guy like you get hurt."

"You're warning me about Lois?" Clark asks, looking puzzled.

Lombard nods. "She's got a thing for that Superman guy" Clark looks startled. "I know, right? What a cliché!"

"And you know this – how?"

"I was in Central Metropolis the day of the … incident… Saw the buildings fall, saw Lois fall from the sky - and Superman save her. Then they locked lips."

"Oh."

"Yeah. Bummer. Sorry," Lombard tells him apologetically.

"Perhaps it was in gratitude … adrenaline and all." 

Lombard shrugs. "Just wanted to let you know."

"Thank you. That's very kind of you," Clark tells him politely.

"No problems, guys like us have to stick together."

"Quite," Clark replies before turning back to his computer.

*

"You haven't got a hope, Kent," Perry White tells him brutally one day when he and the younger man watch Lois leave the editor's office.

"I beg your pardon, sir?" Clark asks him.

"You and Lane. Not a prayer."

"Oh."

"Not saying you're not a pretty boy … but …" he drops his voice. "Lois and Superman are something of an item."

"They're going out?" Clark asks, looking a little astonishment.

"Well let's just say that I witnessed a pretty public display of affection the day Zod was killed …"

"Right…" Clark acknowledges.

"Anyway, your piece on the rescue efforts of ordinary people following the incident is excellent – really struck a chord with our readers. Well done."

"Thank you sir," Clark replies, gratified at the man's praise.

*

"Good morning, Lois," Clark says with a huge grin on his face as Lois walks past him one morning. 

"Morning, Clark," she replies.

"Don't even go there," Jenny tells him, coming to stand beside him, shaking her head.

"Don't tell me ... you saw Lois kissing Superman."

"We all did. Not just once. Twice." The young woman looks wistful. "Lucky woman."

Clark's eyes widen. "You like him, too?"

"Who doesn't? And that's just my point. You're cute but … well you're no Superman."

"Maybe it was a heat of the moment thing?" Clark suggests.

"Definitely a lot of heat," Jenny agrees. "Anyway, you've been warned." 

She walks away and Clark can't help finding it strange that on the day that a giant spacecraft appears in the sky above Metropolis, threatening annihilation of the planet and causing horrific destruction through the city, that three of the reporters at the Daily Planet all seem to be fixated on his kiss with Lois …

Skyscrapers had toppled. Vast chasms had opened in the city streets. Electric grids had been demolished, causing an outage that had spread all the way to Gotham. People had been trapped in the rubble and it had taken days to dig them all out. Superman had helped rescue workers, clearing away rubble and rescuing trapped civilians all over Metropolis but obviously all of that had been overshadowed by the memory of a kiss …

*

"What are you smiling about?" Lois asks, looking over at Clark as they sit at Giuseppe’s pizzeria during one of their late night meet-ups. Being the most recent hire at the Planet, Clark is still proving himself to Perry White and the other reporters. He's grateful for Lois' guidance and advice in the world of journalism.

She's all professionalism, as is he – neither of them ever alluding to their kiss in the aftermath of the collapse of central Metropolis.

"Wondering if you're going to finish that or if I can have it," Clark lies, nodding at the last piece of pizza on her plate.

"Take it," she gestures, picking up his notepad and scanning his notes. "This is good … you have a distinctive voice … you should go with it, see where it takes you..."

He leans back in his seat and studies her face as she speaks, loving its lively intelligence. For a moment he thinks back on the warnings of his colleagues at the Daily Planet.

"Did you know that Perry, Lombard and Jenny all saw you kissing … Superman …?" he asks her suddenly and Lois pauses mid-sentence, a faint flush colouring her pale skin.

"Yes. Why do you ask?"

"They've all been warning me off you today … "

"Because of Superman?" That makes Lois laugh. "Why would they be warning you?" she asks him provocatively and he reaches out and takes her hand in his. "It's not like we're going steady or anything," she continues.

"Is that a fact?" Clark asks her, his smile matching hers.

"Absolutely."

"Good to know," he acknowledges and his eyes darken when she lifts up his hand to her cheek and turns her head slightly to kiss it before releasing it.

The conversation returns to work topics and light chit chat but Clark's still smiling on the inside. Doesn't matter what the others say, Clark Kent's in with a real chance …


	4. Coffee

It's not an exaggeration to say that Lois makes what is quite possibly the worst coffee in the world.

"And I should know – I've been all over the world, you know," Clark tells her with a grin.

She rolls her eyes. "I've been plenty of places, too," she points out tartly. "Although not all of us have the ability to fly anywhere we want in the blink of an eye."

She takes another sip of the coffee. It's awful. She doesn't try to deny that fact, but she doesn't care. For her, it's all about the caffeine hit. She'll even drink instant if she's desperate.

Clark doesn't need caffeine to stay awake, so for him, it's about the aroma and flavour … he mixes his own coffee, drinks only coffee from freshly roasted beans and …

"Coffee snob, that's what you are," Lois points out tartly, draining the rest of the mug as Clark suppresses a shudder. She rinses the mug and sets it in the dish drainer.

She then reaches up to remove Clark's glasses for a moment, glancing around the small staff kitchen at the _Daily Planet_ before pressing a kiss to his smiling mouth. As he tries to slide his arm around her waist she pulls away with a grin.

"I'm happy to make the coffee in this relationship," he tells her lightly as she puts his glasses back on his face, adjusting them with a smile. 

"Even if I'm happy to drink robusta?" she asks.

"As long as it's not a coffee bag, I think we can make it work," he declares manfully and she laughs and links her arm through his.


	5. Lifesaver

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tiny ficlet in response to a prompt - first time Clark saves Lois' life after they're dating ... :)

It's like the world is moving in slow motion … a silent scream escapes Lois' lips and she watches in horror as the scene unfolds before her.

Clark's moving, faster than her eyes can see and in less than a second, he's caught it and whipped the bowl to the side as Lois comes to an abrupt halt.

"I owe you my life, Clark," Lois breathes with a world of gratitude in her voice, looking down at her white blouse that is still immaculate – which is lucky because she's supposed to be interviewing the mayor in less than an hour…

"I warned you that eating pasta when you're wearing white is just asking for trouble, Lois," Clark tells her grimly, still holding the bowl of spaghetti in his hand while balancing his own bowl.

"Antonio – could I please have a bib?" Lois asks the proprietor who grins at her and comes over with the thick paper bibs that he supplies to his customers. "I wouldn't have had time to change before the interview …" 

"I guess I could also have raced home to get you a change of clothes …" Clark points out.

Lois puts a bib over her blouse. Clark hands her his bib as well which she puts on top of hers. "Life saver," she tells him sincerely and he bites back a grin.

"Glad to be of service, ma'am."


	6. Blackout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which I ponder how useful/helpful Superman-Clark would be in various ordinary scenarios. 
> 
> Then I was wondering if he could see in the dark.
> 
>  **Dan:** Well why do you think he could?  
>  **Me:** Well he has x-ray vision and heat vision … surely that includes night vision  
>  **Dan:** Not necessarily. You shouldn’t assume he has every single super ability.
> 
> Anyway, [this site](http://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/78701/can-superman-see-in-the-dark) seems to suggest he can see in the dark so that's the way I've made him in this fic. This ficlet is set in in the very early stages of their relationship.

"Damnit, let me see where I put the matches," Lois muttered, fumbling with her cell phone to use it as a makeshift flashlight in the darkness of the apartment.

"No need," Clark declared, staring through the darkness unerringly. Lois looked startled as the candles on the counter gave a sputter and then the wicks burst into merry flames.

"Impressive," she murmured approvingly as she continued to walk through the darkened apartment with her cell phone, returning with a proper flashlight. "I'd offer you a cup of tea but …" she broke off and smiled at him, raising an eyebrow.

Minutes later, they were both sipping green tea, thoughtfully boiled, compliments of Clark's laser vision. "Tastes better than usual," she remarked.

"I'm glad you approve."

She walked to the window and stares out. "Everyone in the building has no lights … actually it looks like the whole street's gone dark… "

Clark was quiet for a moment as he listened. "Fallen power line – they're fixing it now."

"Thank you for the update. You are just full of useful talents, Clark," she remarked, setting her cup of tea down on the coffee table beside a pile of papers. She sat down on the sofa and glanced back at him. Sitting there in the darkness, the candle light casting a burnished glow over her rich red hair, she was possibly the most beautiful thing that Clark had ever seen in his life.

"Glad you think so," he told her going to sit beside her on the sofa and setting his cup down next to hers.

"I've worked by candlelight before … makes it a bit challenging, though," she remarked. "At least there's no gunfire."

"We'll manage," he declared, looking down at the pages and pages of scribbled notes.

"Candle light is more flattering anyway," she joked.

"You always look lovely to me, Lois," he told her abruptly, his voice low and serious.

The laughter faded from her eyes and her blue eyes deepened. Her lips curved in a faint, rueful smile. "Clark – I'm eight years older than you are… " she touched the faint lines around her eyes and lips. 

"Sunlight or candlelight, I can see those clearly. It doesn't make any difference to me," he told her with a shrug.

"Seriously? Even if I go and blow those candles out?" she demanded.

He laughed and raised his hand to her face, his thumb stroking her cheek lightly. "Wouldn't make a difference … " He leaned towards her and kissed the corner of her mouth. "I can still see very line …" He kissed the skin beside her eyes. "Of the tiny crows feet…"

"Those are VERY tiny," she pointed out.

"I can barely see them even in broad daylight," he assured her and they both laughed.

"I'm not vain but it's a sobering thought to think that when I'm a wrinkley old hag, you'll still look like a Greek God … I guess that's always been the fate of a God for lov… caring about a mortal," she said lightly.

"I'm not a God … " he corrected her and lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her lingeringly. His hand slid the elastic from her thick hair, allowing it spill around his hand, the colour richer and more vivid than sunlight – at least to him.

"I'm not sure I like being a cougar," she remarked, tilting her head back so that he could trail kisses down the skin of her throat.

"We don't have to give it a name …" he whispered hoarsely, his hands, clever and strong slipping beneath her blouse.

"Well … I guess you are useful during a black out …"

"Well that's settled then," he said with a muffled laugh and then there was no more talking.


	7. Accommodate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written in response to my [own tumblr post](http://koalathebear.tumblr.com/post/141694965146/batman-v-superman-lois-clark-thoughts-some) in which I wondered: _"Is there a word that she constantly misspells, such that he has to write it out and stick it on a little post it note above her computer?"_ and also _"Does he get annoyed that she completely shuts him out and doesn’t hear a word when she’s in the midst of typing up her story?"_

Clark is the perfect proof-reader. Perry always jokes that perhaps they should make him a sub-editor, although that would be an horrific waste of his talents as the journalist has a real gift for finding a story and turning the mundane into the whimsical and fascinating. Clark Kent seems to be able to make the reader see the most ordinary things from a completely fresh perspective. Any other journalist would be affronted by constantly being asked to write "human interest" and "whimsical" pieces, but Clark not only does it without complaint - he seems to relish it.

Nonetheless, writing abilities aside, Clark is almost perfect when editing and proof-reading draft articles. Not a single typographical error _ever_ gets past him. Articles written and edited by Clark are always the precise length, perfectly formatted and in accordance with house style. He also seems to have an almost uncanny ability to verify information and find original sources in a way none of the other journalists can.

"But Kent - can't you teach Lane here how to spell properly?" Perry calls out. 

Clark laughs as Lois sniffs in feigned offence. "That's what the spell checker is for."

"Yeah that's what it's for if you don't disable it … if you actually _use_ it," Perry points out meaningfully. "A Pulitzer prize winner with hit and miss spelling. It's a disgrace."

"It's not like _onomatopoeia_ is that common a word anyway," Lois replies airily. "I mean how often are you going to use that?"

Nonetheless, she can't help laughing when Clark starts sticking post-it notes around her monitor with helpful reminders regarding commonly misspelled words. 

" _Accommodate,_ " she reads out loud. She turns and raises an eyebrow at him as he sits across the aisle at work from her. "Seriously?"

"You misspelled it in the last article I subbed," he tells her politely. "Otherwise - a powerful piece about slum housing," he compliments her.

"Thank you. And I know how to spell accommodate … it was just a typo," she retorts.

"Of course."

*

That night, after dinner, Lois is sitting at her computer typing away furiously at her latest story and Clark comes to stand behind her. He already knows that when Lois is in the throes of writing up a story, she completely blocks out the rest of the world.

"Hey Lo - I'm on fire," he calls out teasingly. She keeps typing.

"The building is in orbit and on its way into outer space."

"That's nice, honey," she mumbles absently as she twirls a strand of red hair around her finger as she struggles to find the right word.

Clark smiles, unoffended. Instead, he lowers his head and presses a kiss to the nape of her neck and then the side of her throat, his cool lips enticing and teasing. Lois closes her eyes for a moment, pleasure flowing through her and then she turns her head and her lips meet his. His mouth is hungry, clever and persuasive but she pulls back with great force of will. 

"Don't distract me …you'll make me misspell …" she peers at the post-it next to her monitor. " _Fluorescent_."

"You spelled it _flourescent_ in your mercury poisoning article …" he tells her with a laugh in his voice as his hand slides up beneath her faded t-shirt to cup one of her breasts. The immaculate Lois Lane has discarded her costly bra in favour of comfort he notes much to his delight.

"Was just making sure my sub-editor was paying attention," she points out airily.

"Always," he says, his voice thickening with growing desire as he hits save on her screen and then picks her up in his arms and carries her to the bedroom.

"I need to finish my article," she tells him without much conviction, her fingers unbuttoning his shirt as he lowers her to the bed.

"Stay with me here and I'll teach you how to spell _broccoli_ …"

"That word needs another _ell_ for sure," she retorts, pushing Clark's shirt back from his broad shoulders and running her hands over his chest, a moan of pleasure and anticipation escaping her lips.

"I guess it means you'll keep me around …"

Lois nods, groaning as his mouth slides over her bare skin, licking and arousing her. "Yes, your proof-reading abilities are definitely why I keep you around …"

*

Sitting at her workstation at the _Planet_ the next morning, Lois glances over at Clark who appears to be completely enthralled by his article on recent prison reforms.

Smiling, she touches the new post-it note beside her keyboard with a fingertip. She might struggle to spell the word broccoli but she knows the Kryptonian glyph for _love_ when she sees it …


	8. Starfish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written because I was thinking about the fact that while Superman can't actually save everyone - he could choose to work 24 hours a day and never rest. Inspired in part by [this gifset](http://amancanfly.tumblr.com/post/141881397792) from amancanfly that says: _"You look at Superman, and you wonder, what can he possibly have to worry about? What could possibly ever hurt him? But just because his skin is invulnerable, that doesn’t mean his heart is. And that’s how you hurt Superman. You break his heart.“ Lois Lane [New Earth]_
> 
> Fic set after Man of Steel and before Batman v Superman. Established Lois/Clark relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As for the chapter title, it's from the [starfish story](https://eventsforchange.wordpress.com/2011/06/05/the-starfish-story-one-step-towards-changing-the-world/) which pretty much every single rescue group relies upon as its reminder for why they even bother ...

  
  
image from [dailydceu](http://dailydceu.tumblr.com/post/141905140660)  


_You can save all of them_ is what Jor-El had told him that fateful day. While it was true from a certain abstract perspective, it wasn't actually literally true …

Clark had the power to save people. He had the ability to save a lot of people – but he certainly couldn't save them all. 

Lois took the newspaper from Clark's hand and read the article with a growing frown. She'd read this sort of thing before and already knew what the content would be from the expression on his face, the look in his blue eyes as he stared ahead unseeingly. 

_How does Superman pick who to save and who he will let die?_

_Superman – judge, jury and executioner. He let my daughter die._

Sometimes their bodies were already broken by the time he got to them and there was nothing that he could do for them except to bring them to their grieving families, to allow them to die with their loved ones around them… 

People complained if he didn't stop every single robbery or hold-up … if he didn't avert every single murder, sexual assault or kidnapping. People reproached him for permitting car accidents, plane crashes, shipping disasters or drowning. Sometimes, when he arrived to try to stop a violent domestic incident, both parties turned on him – railing at him and cursing him. When anything bad happened on the planet, people reproached him.

_Why did Superman allows this to happen?_

_Superman has failed in his duties again._

The police both loved and hated him. Some believed that his actions devalued them and made them look bad. Some healthcare workers criticised him for his techniques when handling the injured, writing long treatises on how a person with a spinal injury or a fracture should be carried. One man tried suing Superman because he had saved his life - but allowed his house to burn to the ground. 

The suit had been dismissed based on applying good Samaritan legislation that most nations of the world had extended to include Superman's work. He didn't kill people, he didn't execute people – he merely helped them, apprehended wrongdoers and left the legal system to deal with them … His only "crime" was that he simply wasn't able to save everyone.

_Yeah yeah - he can't save everyone, but if he worked 24 hours a day – he could save a hell of a lot more people than he is right now!_

There were some weekends that Lois didn't see Clark at all. Taking his job at the Planet seriously, he ensured that he never missed work appointments, but there were days when he'd be frantically hurtling around the globe saving one person after another …

There were far too many nights, when he would return to their apartment, face quiet and shuttered, unable to speak of the night's events. On those nights, Lois would simply hold him, fingers tangled in his hair as she offered him wordless comfort and solace. When she saw the news reports the next day, she would understand. Superman walking from the flames, face carved with lines of sorrow as he held the lifeless body of a woman, man or child … Superman unable to save every single victim of an earth quake …

"Stop reading this crap and come to bed, Clark," Lois told him with a smile, tossing the paper across the room and pressing a lingering kiss to his forehead.

*

The next day, Clark was more than a little bemused as Lois insisted on the two of them visiting one of the Metropolis dog shelters. The staff seemed to know her by name and she introduced Clark.

"I didn't know you came here often …"

Lois shrugged. "The job makes it impossible for me to own a dog and we're not allowed to have dogs in our apartment anyway … so I used to come here a lot to help walk the dogs."

"And that's what we're going to do today?" he asked curiously as they walked towards the kennels, to the sound of barking and the smell of disinfectant and other odours …

Lois nodded, introducing him to a rescuer named Jian Li. A woman in her forties, dark-haired and smooth-skinned with a calm serenity, she had a crooked smile that he found charming.

"You can take ratbags one to two," she told Lois, handing her two leashes of two lively bitzas of very indeterminate parentage. Two equally lively dogs were given to Clark who smiled as the dogs – one black, one brown, sniffed at his feet and wagged their tails with furious joy.

Jian Li herself was walking three dogs and the three of them started walking around the park, chatting amongst themselves. Lois was largely silent, allowing Clark and Jian Li to do most of the talking.

"How did you get into dog rescue?" Clark asked curiously as they paused at a tree that all of the dogs felt the need to mark.

"I've always loved animals – and I wanted to make a difference. I volunteered as a dog walker when I was a kid, later on – I joined a rescue group as a foster carer…"

"It must be hard …" Lois interpolated.

Jian Li nodded. "Our hearts break a thousand times a week as we see dogs euthanised because there's nowhere for them to go. We see those who have died at the hands of heartless humans. Almost everywhere we go, we see animals in need … the numbers are simply too great for us to help them all. Sorry – this is probably very depressing."

"No, no, please go on," Clark encouraged her as they continued their walk around the park.

"It's not all bad… it's an even mix of joy and heartbreak. It's devastating when we've done everything right only to see an animal put down because no one wants it… when we rescue a dog that's so ill that even with the finest medical care, it just isn’t strong enough to make it … it's hard not to get angry at humanity when we see dogs who have been abused, and sometimes killed, by the hands of another person … it makes you feel sick ... angry at people in general."

"And the happy part?"

Jian Li smiled. "When we save one. When we see the difference it makes in the lives of the family who adopts it. Some of our dogs become therapy dogs, alert dogs … service dogs … even ones who are 'just pets' transform the lives of the families … " She looked down at the three dogs at the end of the leash who stared at her adoringly. "These guys make it all worth it."

"What about burnout?" Lois asked her gently.

Jian Li nodded. "Most of us who have been rescue have gone through it. We're angry all the time. we can't sleep at night because everything we've seen plays over and over in our heads … for the souls we’ve see in the eyes of needy dogs we couldn't save. Everyone starts out enthusiastic – wanting to save everything … many if not most burn out and have to step away because of compassion fatigue."

"Compassion fatigue?" Clark asked curiously.

Jian Li nodded. "It's Catch-22 work … like a lot of this sort of work. To do it, you're usually naturally empathic … but if you're emphatic to a traumatised population, then you’re exposed to their suffering. The demands for your empathy and help are constant and often overwhelming. If you don't look after yourself, then you can end up with compassion fatigue which can actually hinder your ability to be compassionate …"

"I wrote an article about it once," Lois told Clark. "Compassion fatigue is exhaustion due to the stress and demand of being empathetic and helpful to those that are suffering."

"Good article, too – I show it to _all_ of my new carers," Jian Li told Lois warmly. "I tell them that if caregivers focus on others without practicing on-going self-care, then destructive behaviours can surface. In order to do this work well – to care for others, you have to be able to take care of yourself. You can't use any of your skills properly if you're falling apart. Feeling negative emotions can impair your ability to connect."

"You've had this?" Clark asked her, a note of apology in his voice for asking such a personal question.

"Absolutely," she told him with a twisted smile. "When I was younger, I was deeply affected. I felt as though no matter how many hours were in a day, I could never give the dogs at the shelter the level of care that I knew they deserved and needed. I worked so hard. Crazily hard - but it never felt like enough. No matter how much I did in a day, I rarely felt like I had succeeded. It wore me down completely … I had nightmares all the time …" 

Clark didn't look at Lois. She was too busy talking with Ratbag 1 and Ratbag 2, leaving Clark to talk with Jian Li.

"So what did you do?" he asked her.

"Recent research shows that resilience can protect against compassion fatigue and burnout. You build up resilience through awareness and self-care. Self-care is about finding ways to restore a balance between the negative and the positive by cultivating aspects of our lives that support us when things are tough. You have to set boundaries. You can't work all the time.. You have to learn to say no. Having other interests. Allowing yourself to feel grief … developing coping strategies."

The three had returned to the shelter by then and Clark waited with Lois as the first batch of dogs were returned to their kennels and new dogs were brought out on leash.

"Up for another walk?" Jian Li asked them with a smile.

"Absolutely," Clark replied with a huge grin.

*

"What a wonderful idea," Jian Li marvelled as the two woman stood back and watched Superman wrangling the leashes of several dogs during the shelter's latest adoption drive. "Krypton" and "Kal-El" were in the Man of Steel's arms and licking his face as he spoke the public.

"It was actually Clark's idea."

"Where is he? We haven't seen him in a bit," Jian Li commented. Since their first visit, Clark had returned with Lois and sometimes on his own to help walk the dogs.

"He's following up on a story," Lois replied, a faint smile curving her mouth as she watched Superman posing for a photograph with "Superdog" and a young child. "He sends his apologies but will be back soon."

"What made you decide to support this cause, Superman?" someone demanded.

"I like dogs," he replied simply.

"Well you could save them all, couldn't you – you're Superman!"

At that point, Superman glanced over and smiled at Jian Li who went to stand beside him. "No, we can't save them all … even Superman can't do that and we can't make a difference to all of them – but shouldn't stop us from trying to help." She gestured at the dogs around them. "We can make a difference to these dogs – change their worlds for the better and the lives of the people whose lives they will enrich."

Lois smiled as photographs and video were taken of the Man of Steel being buried by a puppy pile, his laughter and brilliant smile being captured amidst the unabashed cuteness of his co-stars.

Clark didn't stop there. The next step was to brow-beat Perry into allowing a corner of the paper and the blog to be dedicated to a dog of the week. Planet staff (and their families) met shelter dogs and were encouraged to write the profile for the lucky dog.

"This is easier than writing my Tinder profile," Lombard remarked one day as he typed up the "adopt me" profile for a young pit bull mix who had won his heart during a recent visit.

"Thank you," he told her that night as they lay in bed. 

That night he had accidentally interrupted a couple's fully consensual bout of violent sex - mistaking the sounds of pain as ... well sounds of pain. In the end, he had backed away and vanished into the night before the outraged couple could say anything. Attending to flood relief in China had been more successful, whisking in amidst the dangerously violent flood waters to save people from drowning.

"For what? Based on the news – you're the one we should all be thanking … you saved hundreds in Southern China… and Jian Li says Superdog and Kal El have both been adopted!"

That made him smile. Lois curled up against his side. "I know you do your best," she whispered, brushing a kiss across his mouth.

"And what's what I'm thanking you for," he replied and pulled her into his arms with a husky laugh.


	9. Spartacus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which I ponder how it is that Clark always knows where Lois is when she's in trouble. I also like to think that despite their respective jobs, they spend as much time together as possible. This scribble assumes an established relationship.

"Hey Lois," Clark … or rather Superman greets her from the balcony of her hotel in Chicago.

"Well hello there, I was wondering when you'd show up," she says with a broad smile, sliding the door open so that he can step through the entrance and she can step into his arms.

"Sorry – would you believe I was held up rescuing a dog from a tree …" he looks a little sheepish.

"A _dog_?" she demands, looking astonished.

"Some dogs are actually remarkable climbers. Unfortunately, Spartacus wasn't quite so adept at getting back _down_ again once he had scaled the tree's heights …"

"Can you stay tonight?" she asks.

"For a bit …" he replies, his voice warm and low. "Unless there's a change of plans…"

She doesn't even ask him how he found her so fast. It's become a game of sorts … In the beginning, he showed up miraculously whenever she was in peril. He just seemed to know where she was and exactly how to find her. 

As he was at pains not to blow his cover, where possible he'd appear in the shadows and use other methods to defuse the situation – using his heat vision to melt guns and other weapons and his speed to truss up her attackers like Thanksgiving turkeys – all without giving away who he was… It didn't happen that often. Even though it didn't seem like it, she did try to avoid going into harm's way for the most part. 

That night, after she had spoken at length with the local police, she had taken the first flight home, half-convinced when she opened her eyes blearily during her in-flight stupor that she could see a flash of blue and red in the sky, hurtling past the plane …

She had finally slipped into bed beside him in her apartment. "How did you find me?" she had breathed as he had put his arm around her and drew her close. "Do you have GPS tracking on me?"

"Not quite," he had replied, the gentle smile she loved warming his eyes. He had exhaled slowly and slid his hand beneath her t-shirt and placed his palm flat against the bare skin of her chest.

"Your heartbeat …." Then his fingers had slid up to touch her lips. She had kissed his fingers and he had smiled. "Your breathing … your voice …. "

Lois' eyes had widened and she had stared at him in disbelief. "You can recognise me from across the world just from my breathing, pulse and voice?"

"No two humans in the world have the same patterns …"

"But how … there are so many sounds and – "

"Filtering … I've learned to filter… I filter sounds out just in the same way I've learned to filter my vision …I'd go mad if I didn't …"

"That's right. My skeleton and blood vessels aren't very sexy viewing," she had teased him, clambering up to lie on top of him, stretched out in a familiar manner as he had rested his hands on her derriere.

He had given a short laugh. "And looking underneath people's clothing is generally considered bad manners."

"You are _such_ a gentleman, Mr Kent. You do your folks proud," she had joked and he had smiled.

"I hope so …" and his eyes had been a little serious. "Do you mind?" he had asked her abruptly.

"Mind what?" she had asked, a little confused.

"Mind that I can always find you … some would consider that an invasion of privacy …"

She smiles and shakes her head. "Nope … it's oddly comforting to know that I'm never really alone in the world …that we're never really apart …"

That made him smile and he closes his eyes, humbled by her confession. "I'll always find my way to you, Lois …" he promises. "Although that could be awkward if you're trying to conduct an illicit affair …You'd better tell me when you don't want me looking for you."

After that, it becomes something of a challenge. Lois doesn't tell him where she's going, deliberately checks in under an assumed name - and sees if he could find his way to her. He always can. 

Where she can, she gets a hotel room with a balcony, a welcoming smile curving her mouth when she sees the tall, powerful body in red, blue and gold standing out on the balcony under cover of darkness. If there is no balcony, she meets him on the roof or smiles when she hears the firm knock on her door. One tap, one double tap and a final single tap.

Sometimes he's be able to stay the night, sometimes not – as some emergency or disaster calls him away from her side – but he always comes to her. 

Just like tonight.

She brushes his hair from his face, a rueful smile on her face as she recognises the expression on his face. 

Clark hears the sound of panicked screams and sobs … the sound of a jet airliner careening out of the sky in its journey across the ocean. He hears the prayers, the attempts to call home … 

"Maybe later?" she asks him hopefully.

"Maybe later," he replies with an inflection of promise. He kisses her lingeringly before walking back to the balcony, turning his head towards her for a second and then disappearing into the night sky. 

Later that night, Lois is in her pyjamas stretched out in front of the television, Chinese takeout boxes in front of her, her Surface and an old-fashioned notebook beside her watching reports of the dramatic rescue of a Japan Airlines Boeing 787 over the Pacific Ocean.

_Scenes of joy and emotion at a runway in New Zealand …_

_The Man of Steel once again saves the lives of …_

_Once again, we owe a debt of gratitude to Superman as he manages to avert disaster …_

Lois smiles as she watches a tiny Japanese grandmother being carried from the flaming wreckage by Clark. The woman, who should by all rights should be looking terrified instead looks absolutely ecstatic and is giving passers-by the royal wave.

"Should I be jealous?" Lois asks without turning around.

"How did you know I was here?" he asks, a smile in his voice.

"Call it a sixth sense," she lies, a huge grin on her face as she turns around to stare at him.

"You felt the breeze when I opened the door," he guesses. He's standing in the hotel room, arms crossed, his dark hair slightly tousled. It's endearing to think that at the end of a long day at work, even the man of steel's hair gets messy.

"You know you're going to kill the relationship if you demystify everything, Clark," she warns him and he laughs but then becomes serious.

"You shouldn't leave the door unlocked, Lo..." he tells her reprovingly.

"Clark – it's the 21st floor. This high up, the only visitors I'm expecting are those of the Kryptonian kind … or maybe Philippe Petit …"

"Any Kung Pao chicken left?" he asks hopefully and her smile broadens. 

"Of course there is. Take a seat," she tells him, clearing room beside her on the sofa. He leaves the room, returning almost immediately in the civilian clothes that she has packed in her overnight bag for visits just like these. It saves him having to make the flight back to Metropolis to retrieve his clothing.

As he eats the spicy chicken, peanuts and rice, she fills him in on her day, the lack of progress she has made with her leads, the disappearance of one of her sources and Perry's ultimatum that she must drop the story if she doesn't get a lead by tomorrow…

Yawning, she watches Clark dispose of the remnants of their dinner and wash up in the kitchen before coming back. 

"You'll stay tonight?" she asks him, reaching up to pull him down to the sofa on top of her. A laugh escapes him as he uses his elbows to keep his weight off of her. She kisses his nose. 

"Well …"

"Stay …" she invites him, trailing a fingertip down his cheek before kissing him on the nose.

"But what if poor Spartacus gets stuck up a tree again?" he counters, blue eyes darkening with desire amusement. He groans as Lois tempts him further. 

"Spartacus can wait," Lois tells him and moves beneath him in a way that indicates that she cannot.

"Well … I suppose he is named after a Thracian gladiator …" Clark mutters and gives himself up to the moment – and Lois.


	10. Meeting Martha

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"A reporter came by here."  
>  "She's a friend. Don't worry."  
>  "Oh."_
> 
> *
> 
> I loved the smile on Martha's face when Clark said that Lois was his 'friend'. So this was my take on when he brings Lois home officially to introduce her to Martha. Established relationship.

It was the third time that they had met, although the second time hardly counted given that it had consisted of Lois rushing to the Kent family's door and exclaiming wildly: "Clark - I know how to stop them!"

This visit was far more measured and normal in its calmness. A son bringing his girlfriend home to meet his family.

"Mom – meet Lois," Clark introduced them as if they had never met before but Martha walked forward and embraced the younger woman warmly. Her dark eyes were sparkling with delight and her features were still beautiful despite the tracery of lines that time had left on her face.

"It's so wonderful to see you again, Lois. Clark has been telling me so much about you."

"Same," Lois replied, feeling ridiculously shy as she pressed a kiss to the older woman's cheek, breathing deeply of the scent of flowers, fresh linen …and home …

Dusty the family's border collie nuzzled against her knee and she patted him obligingly, smiling when the dog looked up at her with unabashed adoration before going over and sitting on Clark's foot.

"Come in, come in …" Martha invited them in and Clark carried their bags into the house, feeling his throat tighten as he watched Martha and Lois talking, faces animated, voices laughing …

*

"I love your mom so much," Lois whispered much, much later as they lay in bed together staring up at the mobile on the ceiling of his childhood bedroom. Painted by hand, the mobile featured the eight planets in the solar system, orbiting around a bright orange sun. She imagined Clark as a young boy staring up at the ceiling and thinking wistfully of his home planet far beyond earth's solar system.

There was barely enough room in the bed for the both of them but neither would agree to the other sleeping on the ancient sofa downstairs, so they made do, a tangle of limbs and bed sheets… The sheets were fresh and clean, made of flannel and reminded her of Clark's clothes. Clearly he still used the same type of laundry detergent that Martha still used.

"She's strong … a wonderful woman," Clark agreed. "I wish you could have met dad … " His voice dropped low. "I still miss him every day …" His hand stroked up and down her back almost absently, as his thoughts drifted into the past.

Lois envied him his family. The Lane family was not close by any stretch of the imagination. Dutiful, distant and almost chilly in their dealings. She couldn't imagine hugging her parents, standing side by side at the kitchen sink and washing and drying the dishes after dinner. She certainly couldn't imagine sitting with them on the porch swing, staring up at the sky and singing along to the radio the way she and Martha had done earlier that night.

"Am I ever going to get to meet your folks?"

"Only if you ever piss me off and I feel like making you suffer," she muttered beneath her breath and Clark raised an eyebrow quizzically. "One day … I promise … but it's a risk … you might run for the hills and away from me once you meet them."

"That's not possible," Clark protested. "They created you – there must be something good in them."

"I like to think I raised myself," Lois remarked, only half-jokingly, thinking of herself as a young girl. Defiant, stubborn and resentful of the discipline imposed by her father. General Sam Lane had wanted a son and had always treated Lois as a surrogate son when he had been present in her life at all. The relationship had been strained and awkward at best. In contrast, Ella Lane had been loving in her own way but her priority had always been her husband, never her wilful daughter Lois.

"Well you did a great job," Clark told her loyally. 

She snuggled against him, curling up against him, comfortably. She exhaled slowly. "I am so full … your mother was determined to feed us well tonight … now I know where you learned how to cook!"

"I'm not that good," he demurred modestly.

"But better than me…" she countered.

"Lois your idea of cooking always involves heating things up in the microwave or pouring boiling water on them …" he pointed out with an amused expression.

"Peeling the plastic lid off the frozen meal counts as cooking, too," she joked, tracing his raised eyebrow with a gentle fingertip. She loved how the way he would slant one eyebrow at her – so quizzical and mocking.

"Mom likes cooking for people … I know she gets lonely out here on her own… I know she has friends here but it's not the same …"

"I don't mind coming out more often," she told him. "I like seeing you here … although I see the look in her eyes … she's counting her grandchildren …" Her smile was twisted. "Does she know? Does she know that she won't ever get grandchildren from me?"

Clark shook his head, his eyes gentle. "The question never came up – and that's not something she'll learn from me. It's not my place to tell her …And to be honest, I think you might be wronging her. When she looks at us – she's happy that we're happy. She's not demanding more than that."

Somehow, somewhere along the way, Lois had found herself unable to ever bear children. It had never mattered before. It hadn't been something that had troubled her overly. It was only once she had met Clark that her thoughts had turned to possibilities of what might have been.

She never saw any disappointment in his eyes … any indication that he was dissatisfied with her. "I'm happy with what we have, Lois - more than happy. I've told you that before … what we have is so much more than I ever thought was possible …" His blue eyes were very dark and sincere.

"But your mom …"

His smile was crooked as he kissed the end of her nose. "My parents adopted me because they were unable to have children of their own … they always claimed that I was a gift from God … after years of childlessness … Take it from me, my mom will be the last person in the world to reproach us, Lo."

She didn't doubt the truth in his words. He didn't lie to her. He never lied to her. It was an arrangement they had in place that had never really been verbalised. She was unable to lie to him. How did one lie to a man who could hear your heart-beat, feel every quickening of your pulse, sense any temperature increase … see the dilation of your pupils…? In turn, he maintained strict honesty with her as well. Whether it was because of a sense of fair play or because he simply did not wish to lie to her was unclear. In any case, the reasons didn't matter.

*

"More lemonade?" Lois asked as she sat shoulder to shoulder with Martha on the porch, staring up at the sky above the corn fields. The night was clear and the stars looked as if they had been scattered across the sky by a generous hand.

"That would be lovely," Martha replied and Lois handed Martha a glass before taking a sip of herself of the chilled, tangy lemonade. 

Then she leaned back, smiling at Dusty who was snoring from the top step after a long walk through the fields with Clark and Lois after dinner. The radio played low, switching from old show tunes and jazz standards to news of the world. 

_Superman arrived in time to stop the ferry from being enveloped by the frigid waters …_

"Sorry," he had told them both apologetically as he had vanished off into the night sky, Dusty woofing reproachfully and chasing down the lane in a vain attempt to follow him.

The two women hummed along to the music. Martha asked after Lois' work and Lois was gratified to find that the Martha Kent read her articles. "Clark bookmarked the Daily Planet's blog on my computer so that I can read all of his stories," Martha told her. "Although I see that he's getting more and more of his stories into the print edition."

"Yes he is. Ironically, he says he prefers the blog because it's more informal and reaches more people."

"Everyone around here is so proud of Clark … successful journalist in Metropolis. The kids running the _Smallville Torch_ even interviewed Clark over Skype recently!"

"Really?" Lois demanded in fascination.

"Would you like to read it?"

"I'd love to read it!" 

With a smile, Martha went to retrieve the paper and returned to the porch with a lantern so that Lois could read the article in the flickering light.

When Clark returned, a short time later, it was to the sight of Lois reading the article in the _Torch_ aloud as Martha beamed with pride.

"I should have known better than to leave you two alone," he said, shaking his head as he hovered several metres from the ground, his cloak billowing out behind him in the evening breeze. 

Lois glanced up at him, admiring the sight he made, silhouetted by the starry night sky, his dark hair tousled by the breeze. "I had no idea I was going out with such a Smallville celebrity."

Clark pretended to look offended. "I'll have you know that I get a free milkshake at the diner because of my local hero status."

"Well done with the ferry, Mr Kent," she complimented him, rising to her feet to pour him a glass of lemonade.

He raised it in the air in a toast. "Thank you, Ms Lane. We do our best."

"As your reward – you get to fix the downstairs toilet. Which is blocked."

"Again?" he demanded, rolling his eyes. 

As he went into the house to change, Lois watched him go, smiling. The Man of Steel, revered by billions, relegated to fixing a blocked toilet as if he was an ordinary son – which he was. 

Martha saw her smile and her return smile was sweet and gentle. "The world knows him as a hero … a creature with supernatural abilities… but to us, he was our son and a good boy."

"And that, Martha … explains everything about the man he has become."


	11. Anagrams of I Love You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one is for the lovely celticbabe who gave me the prompt: "first I love yous".
> 
> I was discussing this one with my husband. I was wondering whether Clark's "I love you" to Lois before he goes and fights Doomsday is the first time he's said it aloud. 
> 
> Dan said: "No. I mean he flies across the world to save her life, they live together - this wouldn't be the first time he's said it", but I decided that it was the first time he'd said it openly and up until that moment, both of them had found other ways to say "I love you."
> 
> ETA: Then Sara pointed out that Dan was right and I was wrong so I've rewritten the ending of this chapter :)

Clark stares down at the text on his phone and smiles. _Te amo._

On the other side of the city, Lois is sitting in a Metropolis precinct waiting to confront a dirty detective when a message flashes up on her phone form text. _Aloe Luck Ivory._

Neither of them is superstitious but both are extremely aware of the fragility of normal relationships let alone ones that involve a human and a Kryptonian. It seems like tempting fate to declare their love openly – that in doing so, they would somehow be jinxing themselves.

The first time Clark says "I love you" to Lois – he doesn't. He waits until the sound of her breathing, the steady thump of her heart tells him that she's asleep. Then he touches the curve of her cheek with gentle, wondering fingertips, marvelling at how peaceful and calm she looks when she's asleep, when all the wheels aren't turning and that sharp mind isn't in overdrive.

He smiles as she lets out a loud snore before sinking into a deeper sleep. "I love you," he whispers in a low voice before closing his own eyes and going to sleep.

The first time Lois says "I love you, Clark" to Clark – she doesn't. Instead, she gets Malcolm the guy in charge of the puzzles section of the _Planet_ to throw some anagrams into the daily word find.

"Kale Colour Ivy?" Mal reads out, his forehead wrinkling. "You know I'm going to get complaints from the readers about spelling 'color' like that."

"Just find a way to put it in, Mal?" Lois asks him with a sweet smile and puts a salted caramel Cronut down on his desk.

"I'll have you know that I don't accept bribes, Ms Lane!" he retorts - before reaching out and taking a big bite out of the Cronut. 

The next morning, Clark's frowning his way over the _Planet_ 's Cryptic Crossword, Daily Sudoku and Daily Word Find as he drinks his coffee at the kitchen table. Lois stands in the doorway of the bathroom, towel wrapped around her wet hair and watches him with a smile as he diligently completes the crossword puzzle.

He looks up, silhouette by the sunlight and his smile is warm and brilliant. "Kale Colour Ivory?" he asks her with a faintly questioning look in his deep blue eyes. She nods and walks towards him. She picks up his mug of coffee and takes a swallow before taking the glasses off his face, setting them down on the table and leaning down to kiss him lingeringly. The taste of coffee and toothpaste makes them both smile and she presses a kiss to the tip of his nose.

"How did you persuade Mal to spell 'color' like that?" Clark asks in amusement.

"Let's just say I can be very persuasive," she tells him and straddles his lap.

They kiss again. "我爱你," he tells her and she nods very seriously.

"I know."

*

The first one to say "I love you" aloud is Lois. Sort of. It's Sunday morning, a day Lois normally sleeps in, waking to the sound of Clark making pancakes or frying eggs for them in the kitchen. On this Sunday, Lois has a meeting with a source so she gets out of bed first - albeit with great reluctance. When she's ready to leave, Clark's still lying on the bed, sprawled face down and ostensibly unconscious still. She knows he's awake though and leans over the bed, placing a hand on the bare skin of his back and lowers her head to kiss his bare shoulder.

"I love you," she tells him in a quiet voice, the same way he says I love you all those times that he thought that she was asleep.

Clark stiffens. "I'm assuming this isn't supposed to be an anagram of _'o evil you'_?" he asks her, his tone light but his eyes darkening with emotion as he turns to face her.

Lois smiles and shakes her head. "Thought it was my turn to say I love you aloud."

Clark's eyes widen. "But you were asleep ... I can tell ..."

Lois laughs. "I probably was ... but that doesn't mean I didn't hear you ... She kisses him again, her mouth brushing over his lips, pressing a kiss the top of his nose and his forehead as he reaches up to try to pull her back down to the bed.

"Sorry - gotta meet a guy in half an hour ..."

"I guess I was scared to say the words aloud - afraid that all of this would be taken away from us ..." he muttered softly.

"I know - but this is real... what we feel is real ... so let's just man up and admit it." That makes him laugh.

"Man up?" he asks her provocatively.

"It's six am on Sunday morning. I can't think of the non-gendered version of that phrase right now."

He's waiting for her with pancakes when she gets back from the meeting with her source. He hands her a cup of coffee while she hands him a box of his favourite ice cream from the store down the road. As they sit and eat breakfast with the news on the television, Lois glances over at Clark. This is real and it's wonderful - and for a moment she lets herself believe that nothing will ever take it away ...


	12. His Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written after seeing Justice League. Clark has returned. 
> 
> We knew it would happen, but I was still so incredibly happy to see it on the screen :) I loved Justice League. Thoughts about the movie [here](https://koalathebear.livejournal.com/1595552.html) at my livejournal.

_"I wasn't strong … I didn't … you would have been very disappointed in me… I wasn't Lois Lane, dedicated reporter … I was …"_

"Welcome home," Lois says as she unlocks and opens the door of the balcony to let him in the apartment. _Their_ apartment.

His name's still on the letterbox. His clothes are still in the wardrobe. She'd told him that she hadn't been strong. Clearly she hadn't been able to bear throwing out his things after his death.

His arms go around her and she closes her eyes and leans against his powerful chest and allows herself to believe that this is true. 

"I stopped by to see mom briefly … she keeps pinching me …" he says, his voice a rueful rumble and Lois gives a choked laugh that breaks in the middle.

"How was work?" she asks him, her voice muffled.

"OK … beat Steppenwolf and a bunch of his Parademons," he tells her with a shrug.

"Only your first day back at work and you're already saving the world again," she teases him.

"Well … I did it with the help of some new friends," he tells her.

She pulls back for a moment and smiles up at him. "How does it feel?" she asks him.

He looks confused. "How does what feel?"

"That there are others like you … that you're not alone anymore…"

He looks down at her, his light eyes steady and serious as he reaches down and strokes the hair from her face, his thumb resting at the tear at the corner of her eye.

He lowers his head and brushes his mouth against hers gently. "I've never felt alone around you, Lo," he tells her sincerely and with their hands clasped, they walk towards the bedroom and close the door behind them.


End file.
